19,399 research outputs found
Cognitive architectures as Lakatosian research programmes: two case studies
Cognitive architectures - task-general theories of the structure and function of the complete cognitive system - are sometimes argued to be more akin to frameworks or belief systems than scientific theories. The argument stems from the apparent non-falsifiability of existing cognitive architectures. Newell was aware of this criticism and argued that architectures should be viewed not as theories subject to Popperian falsification, but rather as Lakatosian research programs based on cumulative growth. Newell's argument is undermined because he failed to demonstrate that the development of Soar, his own candidate architecture, adhered to Lakatosian principles. This paper presents detailed case studies of the development of two cognitive architectures, Soar and ACT-R, from a Lakatosian perspective. It is demonstrated that both are broadly Lakatosian, but that in both cases there have been theoretical progressions that, according to Lakatosian criteria, are pseudo-scientific. Thus, Newell's defense of Soar as a scientific rather than pseudo-scientific theory is not supported in practice. The ACT series of architectures has fewer pseudo-scientific progressions than Soar, but it too is vulnerable to accusations of pseudo-science. From this analysis, it is argued that successive versions of theories of the human cognitive architecture must explicitly address five questions to maintain scientific credibility
Aerodynamic design of the contoured wind-tunnel liner for the NASA supercritical, laminar-flow-control, swept-wing experiment
An overview is presented of the entire procedure developed for the aerodynamic design of the contoured wind tunnel liner for the NASA supercritical, laminar flow control (LFC), swept wing experiment. This numerical design procedure is based upon the simple idea of streamlining and incorporates several transonic and boundary layer analysis codes. The liner, presently installed in the Langley 8 Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel, is about 54 ft long and extends from within the existing contraction cone, through the test section, and into the diffuser. LFC model testing has begun and preliminary results indicate that the liner is performing as intended. The liner design results presented in this paper, however, are examples of the calculated requirements and the hardware implementation of them
Langley Mach 4 scramjet test facility
An engine test facility was constructed at the NASA Langley Research Center in support of a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) technology development program. Hydrogen combustion in air with oxygen replenishment provides simulated air at Mach 4 flight velocity, pressure, and true total temperature for an altitude range from 57,000 to 86,000 feet. A facility nozzle with a 13 in square exit produces a Mach 3.5 free jet flow for engine propulsion tests. The facility is described and calibration results are presented which demonstrate the suitability of the test flow for conducting scramjet engine research
Interface Equations for Capillary Rise in Random Environment
We consider the influence of quenched noise upon interface dynamics in 2D and
3D capillary rise with rough walls by using phase-field approach, where the
local conservation of mass in the bulk is explicitly included. In the 2D case
the disorder is assumed to be in the effective mobility coefficient, while in
the 3D case we explicitly consider the influence of locally fluctuating
geometry along a solid wall using a generalized curvilinear coordinate
transformation. To obtain the equations of motion for meniscus and contact
lines, we develop a systematic projection formalism which allows inclusion of
disorder. Using this formalism, we derive linearized equations of motion for
the meniscus and contact line variables, which become local in the Fourier
space representation. These dispersion relations contain effective noise that
is linearly proportional to the velocity. The deterministic parts of our
dispersion relations agree with results obtained from other similar studies in
the proper limits. However, the forms of the noise terms derived here are
quantitatively different from the other studies
Size Gap for Zero Temperature Black Holes in Semiclassical Gravity
We show that a gap exists in the allowed sizes of all zero temperature static
spherically symmetric black holes in semiclassical gravity when only
conformally invariant fields are present. The result holds for both charged and
uncharged black holes. By size we mean the proper area of the event horizon.
The range of sizes that do not occur depends on the numbers and types of
quantized fields that are present. We also derive some general properties that
both zero and nonzero temperature black holes have in all classical and
semiclassical metric theories of gravity.Comment: 4 pages, ReVTeX, no figure
Extrinsic Curvature and the Einstein Constraints
The Einstein initial-value equations in the extrinsic curvature (Hamiltonian)
representation and conformal thin sandwich (Lagrangian) representation are
brought into complete conformity by the use of a decomposition of symmetric
tensors which involves a weight function. In stationary spacetimes, there is a
natural choice of the weight function such that the transverse traceless part
of the extrinsic curvature (or canonical momentum) vanishes.Comment: 8 pages, no figures; added new section; significant polishing of tex
Indication, from Pioneer 10/11, Galileo, and Ulysses Data, of an Apparent Anomalous, Weak, Long-Range Acceleration
Radio metric data from the Pioneer 10/11, Galileo, and Ulysses spacecraft
indicate an apparent anomalous, constant, acceleration acting on the spacecraft
with a magnitude cm/s, directed towards the Sun.
Two independent codes and physical strategies have been used to analyze the
data. A number of potential causes have been ruled out. We discuss future
kinematic tests and possible origins of the signal.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages and 1 figure. Minor changes for publicatio
Semiclassical charged black holes with a quantized massive scalar field
Semiclassical perturbations to the Reissner-Nordstrom metric caused by the
presence of a quantized massive scalar field with arbitrary curvature coupling
are found to first order in \epsilon = \hbar/M^2. The DeWitt-Schwinger
approximation is used to determine the vacuum stress-energy tensor of the
massive scalar field. When the semiclassical perturbation are taken into
account, we find extreme black holes will have a charge-to-mass ratio that
exceeds unity, as measured at infinity. The effects of the perturbations on the
black hole temperature (surface gravity) are studied in detail, with particular
emphasis on near extreme ``bare'' states that might become precisely zero
temperature ``dressed'' semiclassical black hole states. We find that for
minimally or conformally coupled scalar fields there are no zero temperature
solutions among the perturbed black holes.Comment: 19 pages; 1 figure; ReVTe
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